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1941
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The Film : The worst
film in Spielberg's career? One can only hope so. However, perhaps
expectations were just too high. After all, this film came out
soon after Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
Just before that, was Spielberg's former box office champion,
Jaws. FYI; Three years after this film,
he would make E.T.! So, again, maybe expectations
were merely too high for this film...or perhaps it just sucks.
The plot is set in Los Angeles, 1941. The bombing of Pearl
Harbor has residents in major distress. To make matters worse,
a Japanese submarine has approached the coast, in an attempt
to make an even bigger message against the U.S., and bomb Hollywood
itself. Yes, as a matter of fact, this is the set-up to this
alleged comedy. So begins the film's many flaws.
The plot snafus get worse. U.S. soldiers are made to look
like complete imbeciles...quite insultingly. John Candy is reduced
to a few racist jokes against his fellow African-American soldier.
John Belushi re-enacts his classic Animal House
role, in totally inappropriate fashion, as a fighter pilot with
no sense of direction. Ned Beatty is a family man who is so stupid,
he fires a large military gun at the Japanese submarine, right
through his own home (actually, the slapstick humor here does
pay off...a little). The leader of our troops is a man who'd
just as soon go to the theater and watch Disney's Dumbo
instead.
Regardless, this movie is often loved by fans of the "so
bad, they're almost good" variety of films. You almost wish
that the film was roasted by the robots of Mystery Science
Theater 3000, since that is how bad this borderline turkey
truly is. In fairness, the sound and cinematography are perfect,
and were even nominated for Academy Awards. That's about as complimentary
as the compliments can get. I guess the film could've been worse...though
not by much.
The DVD : You have to
give the makers of this DVD credit for a sense of humor. In total
fairness and honesty, one of the Bonus Materials on the disc
is a complete listing of some of the most memorable reviews of
this film. None of them favorable. Again, nice sense of humor.
Other bonus materials include a director's cut of
the film. This means the DVD version has additional footage;
around 28 minutes worth! Such scenes were probably considered
too risqué for a PG film in the 1970's. However, I can't say
which scenes these were, or even if they improve the film. The
deleted scenes are that irrelevant and forgettable.
A deleted scenes track is also provided. Actually, most of
these scenes aren't deleted scenes per se, as much as alternate
ways the exact same scenes were filmed. One too many clips are
of the insufferable nerd and his ventriloquist dummy on a ferris
wheel...<groan>! Other clips are of the Japanese soldiers
doing various slapstick on the shore. The only real deleted clip
worth its weight is a short segment when the characters played
by Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi meet face to face. They share
a "Hey...?" look, as if they both have met somewhere
before. That would've been cute to see in the film itself.
In truth, this is a batch of extras that
made me nearly give this DVD a small crater grade. However, is that fair
to the films that are worth a marginal thumbs up, only to have poor bonus
features? No. This is still a hideously awful farce, only viewable if
you're in a "Mystery Science Theater 3000" mood with your
friends. The extras are nice, though, and if this film deserves such
kudos, its a true travesty such honor isn't bestowed on the underdog films
given so little respect. 'nuf said.
To
Order this DVD, Click Here
If you'd prefer the VHS version of this 1941 Director's Cut (and sold in Widescreen format!), Click
Here...
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Burnout
Near
Miss
Large
Crater
Deep
Impact
Small
Crater, for effort. However, the film itself really was that
bad, and deserves this low grade.